Regulating system



Oct. 13, 1936. F. H. GULLIKSEN .REGULATING SYSTEM Filed June 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 6 Power Source l .l H 1 w WITNESSES:

INVENTOR 1 27717 H Gz/ZZi/fgen.

Oct. 113, 1936. F. H. GULLIKSEN REGULATING SYSTEM Filed June 15, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feyulald 0.6. 'z'rauz'z.

A JL W 14.6". Power Source.

WITNESSES: INVEN TOR Patented a. 13, 193s I 2,057,520

REGULATING SYSTEM Finn H. Gulliksen, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 15, 1935, Serial No. 26,886

3 Claims. (Cl. 171-119) My invention relates to regulating systems and understood through the following description of it has particular relation to electronic tube sysspecific embodiments, when taken in conjunction terns capable of maintaining constant the voltage with the accompanying drawings, in which: or other characteristic of a direct current or other Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating 5 electrical circuit. apparatus and circuits comprised by a preferred One object of my invention is to simplify the form of the regulating system of my invention construction, improve the reliability and lower shown as being applied to maintain constant the the cost of systems of this character. voltage of a direct-current generator;

A more specific object is to provide improved Fig. 2 is a partial reproduction of the system means for converting changes in a measure of a of Fig. 1, showing how the bridge controlling l0 regulated quantity into magnitude and polarity reactor may be made sensitive to generator outvariations in a direct-current potential whichput current;

may be utilized to control the quantity adjust- Fig. 3 is a partial diagrammatic view of the ing electronic tube. system of Fig. 1 showing its application to an Another object is to provide error-detecting alternating-current generator or circuit; 15

means capable of high sensitivity without the Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of use of the source of standard or reference control the regulating system of my invention adapted to potential heretofore required in high sensitivity control the voltage of a direct-current circuit applications. which is supplied through rectifiers from an A further object is to provide detecting means alternating-current source of power; and 20 of the above class which are especially, though Fig. 5 is a partial reproduction of the previnot exclusively, suited for use with direct-current ously illustrated systems showing how the bridge circuits, the voltage or other characteristic of controlling reactor comprised thereby may be which is to be regulated. made responsive to the current of an alternating A still further object is to so arrange the current circuit. 25 above-described detecting means that differences Referring to the drawings and particularly to in the voltage, current or other rating of the Fig. 1 thereof, I have there represented the imregulated circuit do not affect their performance. proved system of my invention as being applied An additional object is to provide error to maintain constant the voltage of a. directdetecting means which, in addition to the above current circuit I0 which is energized by a dy- 30 particularized features, are further characterized namo-electric generator l2 having an armature by high amplifying characteristics. winding directly connected with the circuit con- In practicing my invention, I interpose between ductors and an exciting field winding M. This the quantity adjusting electronic tube and the field winding is energized from any suitable regulated circuit an alternating-current enersource of direct current power, such as a sepagized rectifier bridge circuit, the controlling elerate exciting generator I I6, through a circuit ment Of Which iS in the fOIm Of a saturab e core. which includes one or more controllable elecreactor which I arrange to be influenced by a tronic tubes I8. measu 0f the regulated q a y- Q i y These excitation adjusting tubes are reprechanges thus convertedinto variations in the ented as being of the continuous control type. 40 eac 0f the reactor pp in u n, 85 ma the impedance to the flow of current from the nitude and polarity variations in the directanode 20 t th th 22 which is current output voltage of the bridge circuit mined by the magnitude and polarity of a di- W ch OO eq y/ iusting elect o c rect-current potential impressed upon the grid t Such a Combination possessing high 24. This potential is, in the system shown, de- 45 P y C a c st cs may be pplied to electermined by the voltage drop appearing across trical circuits of p a y all r n s and may a resistor 26 which, in turn, is determined by the be made sensitive to a wide variety of different current which an error-detecting electronic tube characteristics. It eliminates any need for the 28 allows a battery 30 or other-source of unistandard potential reference source heretofore directional voltage to circulate through this re required in high sensitivity applications and sistor. being devoid of moving parts is exceedingly Tube 28 is also of the continuous control type reliable in operation. and derives its control voltage irom the output My invention itself, together with additional terminals of a rectifier bridge circuit 32 wh ch objects and advantages thereof will best be is energized from a suitable source of altsrnatas ing-current power 34 and which is controlled by a saturable core reactor 36 influenced by a measure of the voltage or other characteristic of circuit III which it is desired to maintain constant.

In the energizing circuit for rectifier bridge circuit 32 is connected a transformer 33, the two ends of the secondary winding 40 of which are connected through rectifiers 42 and 44 with an impedance circuit comprising a pair of similar resistors 46 and 4B which are paralleled by capacitors 66. Between the common connection 52 of these resistors and a mid-tap connection 64 of the secondary winding of the transformer 36 is connected the secondary winding 66 of a second transformer, the primary winding 56 of which is energized through a circuit which includes the aforementioned mid-tap 34 and a common connection 60 between the bridge controlling reactor 36 and a second reactor 62 having a fixed value of reactance equal to that of device 36 when adjusted to an intermediate portion of its range. The outer or alternating-current windings of the two named reactors are series connected for energization by the voltage acting in the secondary winding 46 of transformer 36.

During one-half of each cycle of alternatingcurrent voltage supplied through transformer 36, rectifier 42 passes a current which circulates through resistor 46 and during the other half of each cycle rectifier 44 similarly passes current which circulates through resistor 48, the return circuit for these two currents being through transformer winding 56 back to the mid-tap 54 of transformer winding 46. The voltage drop through the two resistors resulting from the pulsating currents charges the capacitors 66 to potentials determined by the relative magnitudes of the resistor currents. When the primary winding 66 of tire return circuit transformer is unenergized, as is the case for a balanced condition of the two reactors 36 and 62, the magnitudes of these two potentials are equal and being of opposite polarity, they exactly cancel each other, thereby making zero the output voltage of the bridge, which output voltage is impressed between the grid and cathode elements 64 and 66 of electronic tube 26.

However, any adjustment in the reactance of device 36 which disturbs this balance effects an increase in the current supplied to and hence the voltage appearing across one or the other of the bridge resistors 46 or 4B which, in turn, causes to be impressed upon the grid of tube 23 a control potential of definite polarity and magnitude which is effective in adjusting the exciting current supplied through tubes I8 to machine winding l4 and hence the output voltage of machine l2.

Bridge controlling reactor 36 is of a wellknown saturable core type carrying on the center core leg thereof a saturation control winding 68, the passage of a uni-directional current through which alters the impedance to a flow of alternating current through the windings 10 carried by the two outer core legs. When, as in the system of Fig. 1, the quantity sought to be maintained constant by the regulating system is a voltage (of circuit Hi), this saturation control winding 68 may be directly connected with the conductors ID of the regulated circuit.

In operation of the complete regulating system shown in Fig. 1, when the voltage of circuit I0 is of the desired value, winding 68 of reactor 36 excitation of machine I2 at the value required to supply to circuit ill the aforementioned desired value of voltage.

Upon a decrease in the voltage of regulated circuit II), the saturation of the core structure of reactor 36 is lowered and the reactance of this device correspondingly raised. The resulting unbalance of the fixed reactance 62 causes the output voltage of the right-hand branch of the bridge circuit 32 to decrease and that of the left-hand bridge to increase. As a result, the potential impressed upon the grid of electronic tube 23 is changed in the negative direction, the effect of which is to lower the tube conductivity and decrease the negative grid voltage applied to excitation adjusting tubes l6. This raises the conductivity of these tubes, permitting them to pass from exciter I6 more current to machine field winding i4 and thereby correctively raise the voltage of machine l2 back to the desired value.

Upon an increase in the voltage regulated cirthe output voltage of the right-hand branch of bridge circuit 32 caused to exceed that of the left-hand branch. The resulting change in the positive direction of the grid potential impressed upon tube 26 raises the tube's conductivity and increases the negative potential applied to the grids of tubes l6 which by decreasing the conductivity of these tubes lowers the excitation of machine l2 to correctively adjust its voltage back to the desired value.

In practice, the error detecting means of my invention just explained are found to be of utility in all voltage regulating applications, inasmuch as the rectifier bridge 32 is capable of rather high amplifying ability, and thus provides the desired high sensitivity without the use of the supplemental source of reference or standard potential heretofore required. It is of particular utility when the circuit to be regulated has a low voltage rating, since, in such case, even the use of a standard reference potential falls short of affording sensitivity of a high order. The system of my invention, on the other hand, utilizes a simple saturation control winding 68, the electrical resistance of which may be made exceedingly low and the response to small changes in a low potential thus made relatively high.

Nor is my improved system restricted to application for direct current voltage regulation. By connecting, as in Fig. 2, the saturation control winding 68 of reactor 36 in parallel with a resistor 16 connected in series with one of the main conductors of the regulated circuit Hi, my improved system may be made responsive to changes in circuit current. In case it is desired that an alternating current be responded to, this may be accomplished by the connection shown in Fig. '5 which comprises a rectifier l8 interposed between the saturation control winding 68 and a current transformer which responds to the current passed through the conductor ID of an alternating current circuit. By utilizing the connectionsshown in Fig. 3, my improved system may likewise be made responsive to the voltage of an alternating current circuit l0 shown as being supplied by an alternating current generator 12.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the regulating system of my invention applied to maintain constant the voltage of a direct current circuit l0" which is supplied from a source of alternating current power 82 through a pair of controllable electronic tubes 84 connected in association with a transformer 86 to afford full wave rectification. Tubes 84 are of the discontinuous control type and their effective conductivity may be varied by altering the character of the potential impressed upon the grid elements .thereof by a transformer 88 which, in response to changes in the phase angle of the voltage supplied thereto by a phase-shifting bridge circuit 90 causes tube conductivity to be instituted at an earlier or a later point in each positive halt cycle of tube anode voltage.

The phase-shifting bridge circuit 90 utilizes a controlling electronic tube 92, the grid circuit of which is supplied by the output of a rectifier bridge 32 which, in construction and arrangement, may be the exact equivalent of that already described in connection with the system of Fig. l.

In operation of the complete system 0! Fig. 4, a decrease in the voltage of circuit l0" acts upon the reactor 36 which so controls the rectifier bridge 32 as to cause it, through tube 92 and phase-shifting bridge circuit 90, to increase the effective conductivity of the tubes 84 and thereby correctively raise the regulated circuit voltage. In a similar manner, an increase in this regulated voltage produces the opposite-effeet to thereby correctively lower the conductivity of the tubes 84.

Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims. I

I claim as my invention:

1. Ina system for maintaining constant an electrical quantity, the combination of means,

utilizing an electronic tube, for adjusting the magnitude of said quantity, a reactor having a core-saturating winding energized by a measure of said quantity, 9. rectifier-bridge circuit controlled-by said reactor and comprising two opposing branches each of which includes a rectifier, means for energizing said branches by alternating-current potentials which are of equal magnitude when the reactor impedance is of an intermediate value and of unbalanced values when that impedance varies from said intermediate, and means for controllably impressing upon said electronic tube the sum of the opposing direct-current output voltages of said two bridge-circuit branches.

2. A regulating system for a direct-current circuit comprising, in combination, means, comprising an electronic tube, for adjusting a characteristic of said circuit, a control circuit for said tube, an error-responsive device for converting variations from a desired value in said characteristic into changes in the impedance of the device, a rectifier-bridge circuit, controlled by said device, comprising two opposing branches in each of which is disposed a rectifier, means for energizing said branches by alternating-current potentials which are of equal magnitude when the impedance of said device is of an intermediate value and 01' unbalanced values when the impedance of the device varies from said intermediate, and means for impressing the sum of the opposing direct-current output voltages of said two bridge-circuit branches upon the control circuit of said electronic tube.

3. In a regulating system for an electrical circuit comprising means, utilizing an electronic tube, for adjusting a characteristic of said circuit, the combination of a saturable-core reactor influenced by a measure oi. said characteristic, an alternating-current energized bridge circuit controlled by said reactor and comprising two opposing branches each of which includes a rectifier, a second reactor so associated with the bridge circuit that when the reactance oi the reactor first named differs from that of the second reactor the bridge-circuit branch potentials will be correspondingly unbalanced, and means for controllably impressing upon said electronic tube the sum of the opposing direct-current output voltages of said two branches.

FINN H. GULLIKSEN. 

